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Sotheby’s announced on Thursday that an iconic red sweater, famously worn by Princess Diana shortly after her engagement to then-Prince Charles, and adorned with rows of charming fluffy sheep, fetched over $1.1 million at auction, concluding with an intense flurry of last-minute bidding.
The 19-year-old donned a knitted garment during a June 1981 polo match, where amidst a flock of white wooly creatures, one black sheep stood out. This moment occurred during her early days as a reserved royal-in-the-making.
The whimsically patterned “Black Sheep” sweater later emerged as an iconic piece in Diana’s wardrobe, now seen as a harbinger of her tumultuous journey within the British royal family.
In a spirited online bidding war, the sweater fetched a staggering $1.1 million, inclusive of fees and commissions. This impressive sum exceeded Sotheby’s initial estimate, which had ranged from $50,000 to $80,000, by more than tenfold.
Due to a flurry of bids, the auction house decided to extend the sale by several minutes. During this time, the price surged from $190,000 to an astonishing $1.1 million in the last 15 minutes.
Sotheby’s reports that this marks the highest price ever paid at auction for a garment once owned by Princess Diana, surpassing the previous record set in January when her Infanta-style ball gown fetched $604,000. Furthermore, this sweater now holds the title of the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction.
The sweater was created by then-little-known designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne and their knitting company Warm and Wonderful, which was subsequently catapulted to fame.
Weeks after Diana was photographed wearing the top, the designers received a letter explaining that one of the sweater’s sleeves had sustained damage and inquiring whether it could be repaired or replaced.
The designers promptly sent her a replacement, assuming that the original had been repaired and sent to a customer. However, in March 2023, Osborne discovered the sweater tucked away in a small box in her attic.
In addition to the sweater, the auction featured the repair request letter and a thank-you note from Diana’s private secretary, Oliver Everett.
The sweater gained such iconic status that it made a cameo appearance (via replica) in the fourth season of the Netflix drama “The Crown,” which chronicled the recent history of the House of Windsor.
